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Increasing and decreasing motor and cognitive output: A model of general action and inaction goals

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
  • Dolores Albarracin
  • Ian M. Handley
  • Kenji Noguchi
  • Kathleen C. McCulloch
  • Hong Li
  • Joshua Leeper
  • Rick D. Brown
  • Allison Earl
  • William P. Hart
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<mark>Journal publication date</mark>09/2008
<mark>Journal</mark>Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Issue number3
Volume95
Number of pages14
Pages (from-to)510-523
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

General action and inaction goals can influence the amount of motor or cognitive output irrespective of the type of behavior in question, with the same stimuli producing trivial and important motor and cognitive manifestations normally viewed as parts of different systems. A series of experiments examined the effects of instilling general action and inaction goals using word primes, such as "action" and "rest." The first 5 experiments showed that the same stimuli influenced motor output, such as doodling on a piece of paper and eating, as well as cognitive output, such as recall and problem solving. The last 2 experiments supported the prediction that these diverse effects can result from the instigation of general action and inaction goals. Specifically, these last 2 studies confirmed that participants were motivated to achieve active or inactive states and that attaining them decreased the effects of the primes on behavior.